Keeping pets and children safe around each other

Pets provide positive perks to owners, including companionship, unconditional love and the opportunity to learn about caring and responsibility. Still, it is helpful to understand potential dangers of pets with small children.

They can injure or harm each other as quickly as they can play together. We must protect our children, while providing a safe environment for pet and child.

High-energy activity from children can create anxiety for pets. They become overexcited or frightened if there is a lot of commotion or loud noise. More submissive and tolerant pets make better companions.

Teach your pet to be accepting of your child by including the pet in activities. That said, children should always be supervised around pets. Even the friendliest of pets can be unpredictable. Pets, like humans, can have mood swings, too.

Cats like solitude and are not pack animals. Cats can be quite devoted to young babies, as they view them as offspring. They are known for protecting infants until the infant reaches toddler age, at which point cats typically revert to playful behavior with the energetic young child. It is easy for a cat’s gentle play and pawing to lead to accidental scratching, biting or clawing. Typically, a cat prefers to watch from a distance and maintain its isolation. It will engage when it wants to.

Dogs, on the other hand, are pack animals and like to be part of a family. They usually show more interest and tolerance with children. Yet, most dog bite victims are children.

Any dog can be dangerous, but be cautious with more aggressive dogs, including guard dogs, kenneled or caged dogs, and those behind fences. It isn’t necessarily the breed of dog that denotes a threat. Consider the personality of the individual dog.

Children should be taught respect for pets and how to read a pet’s body language. When discontent in a situation, cats are prone to hissing, arching their backs, stiffening their tails and running, while dogs are more inclined to show their teeth, growl, raise their ears, raise the hair on their back and walk backwards. Teach your child not to grab a cat or dog’s tail, feet or ears.

Some safety suggestions:

- Neuter or spay your pet. “Fixed” animals are typically calmer.

- Give your cat or dog the attention it deserves.

- Create a safe place for your cat or dog to be by itself.

- Exercise your pet regularly.

- Keep children away from the cat or dog’s food area; animals can be quite territorial of their food.

- Keep cats out of a baby’s sleep area by using a spray bottle of water to spritz the cat or by placing aluminum foil in front of the child’s door.

- Provide adequate pet toys

- Do not allow your dog to jump, paw or bark inappropriately.

- Do not allow your cat to paw.

- Do not disturb a sleeping cat or dog.

- Do not tease a cat or dog.

- Never try to hold a cat if it wants to be released.

- When approached by a strange dog, a child should know to stand still like a tree.

- Humans should greet a new dog by walking slowly, asking the owner for permission to speak to the dog and then offering the underside of the fist for the dog to sniff.

- Dogs prefer to be petted under their chins, not on their heads.

- If a dog attacks a child, the child should curl into a ball and cover the back of head and neck.

- If a cat is attacking or being rough with a child, do not try to pick up the cat; remove the child.

Finally, consult your veterinarian for animal behavior issues and aggression. Cat and dog scratches and bites can be serious if infected. Your child’s safety comes first.